Why Identity Matters in Retirement
Identity is largely concerned with the question: "Who are you?" What does it mean to be who you are? Identity relates to our basic values that dictate the choices we make. These choices reflect who we are and what we value.
- Shahram Heshmat Ph.D./ Science of Choice
There's an interesting phenomenon that occurs during traditional retirement planning. Rather than building upon our established identity and creating a retirement landscape that reflects our interests, we tend to move into this stage of our lives without regard to who we are inherently and who we've become over time. This downplay of our character traits adversely affects the quality of our retirement years in the long run.
In our youth, when many of us are just beginning our careers, it's difficult to pinpoint how our lives will unfold. It can take many years and even decades to figure out who we are and how we fit into the world around us. Whether the visions we have for our lives are big or small, it's not until we are on the other side of our career journey that we can fully appreciate the road we travelled.
While retirement is a "new life" in the broadest terms, it is more accurately defined as an extension of our old life that we now have an opportunity to redefine. It's a chance to look over the course of our lives and consider our accomplishments, regrets, triumphs, and hardships. Unlike the naiveté of our beginnings, experience gives us the perspective we need to look back with fresh eyes and insight.
This is why acknowledging who we are on a deeper level when planning our retirement is critical. A life well-lived consists of those things that matter the most to us as individuals. Who we are must be identified before we can become, and who we become doesn't end once retirement begins, unless we stop living. Herein lies the danger of planning a retirement without taking everything into consideration.
Retirement is not a time to lose ourselves. It's a time to accentuate, reclaim, or even pursue the identity we've always wanted to have. What makes me truly happy? What are the components of my life that leave me feeling deeply fulfilled and satisfied? How can I take the essence of these things and infuse them into a retirement lifestyle that resonates with my heart on a deeper level?
One of the reasons I find the Successfinder tool so valuable is that it looks below the surface of our life choices and analyzes who we are at our core. This is why I believe it's an invaluable tool when it comes to planning your retirement.
If you are looking for a better way to navigate your retirement, begin with what matters most. Our identities will always matter, not just in the context of retirement but in the overarching legacy of our time on earth. Retirement is the segue to the exclamation point that we hope will punctuate our life's statement.
For additional information on how you can gain more insight into your identity and how that knowledge can enhance your retirement lifestyle. I'm happy to walk you through the process. Let's REWIRE and not retire!